Game apparatus



Nov. 17, 1936. B. v. CHAMBERS GAME APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 B. v. CHAMBERS GAME, APPARATUS Nov. 17, 1936.

Filed April 4, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .QD 2 2 M NN w on w\% F U on 5 i t M MM PM. MN 8 3 Q 0N QM g 0.

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PW w 0 AH my WW 1 a N .5 w H mm .a a M 1 j v 0 0W i Nov. 17, 1936. B, v. CHAMBERS GAME APPARATUS Filed April 4, '1932 i-sheets-shee c s an \x 68 fienjqmz'n Y Chambers,

Nov. 17,1936. B. v. CHAMBERS 2,050,797

4 GAME APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Benjamin VC/mmbens,

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 unrrso STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

The invention relates to a game apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of game apparatus for playing games of skill with a universally pivoted game board and balls which are successively introduced into play and by manipulation of the game board by a player caused to enter pockets in the board having different score values.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus of this character equipped with a universally pivoted game board having operating means located at one end of the game board adapted to normally maintain the game board in unstable equilibrium so that the constant attention and alertness of the player will be required and a high degree of skill will be necessary to manipulate the game board so as to cause a ball to enter a high score pocket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus which will admit of any desired arrangement of pockets to permit various kinds of games to be played and which will also permit the balls to remain in the pockets until a player entirely completed his play and placed all of the balls on the board to which he is entitled so that the score may be accurately counted at the end of each players manipulation of the balls.

A further object of the invention is to equip a game apparatus with means for simultaneously ejecting all of the balls from the pockets to facilitate a rapid return of the same to a collecting magazine for holding the balls preparatory to placing the same in play.

Another object of the invention is to enable both the magazine and the ejecting means to be carried by the universal tiltable game board and to provide a structure which will admit of the ball collecting magazine to be located either above or below the game board.

It is also an object of the invention to equip the game apparatus with a ball delivering device adapted to control the discharge of the balls from the collecting magazine and capable of enabling a ball to be projected over the table or game board when desired or when games are being played requiring such manipulation of the balls.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a game apparatus partly in section, constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal, sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view of the game board illustrating the construction of the ball collecting magazine and the ball ejecting means for simultaneously removing the balls from the pockets.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on the line 4- of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the line S6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a plan view partly in section of a game apparatus showing another form of the invention in which the collecting magazine is located above or at the upper face of the game board.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View of a portion of the game apparatus taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view on the line Ill-l of Fig.7.

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view on the line ||-Il of Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail front elevation of a portion of the game apparatus partly in section, illustrating the construction of the elevation control of the game board.

Fig. 13 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line l3l3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged detail sectional View of the rear portion of the game apparatus illustrating the arrangement of the scale for indicating the inclination of the game board.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, and Fig. 11 of the drawings, l designates a horizontal, oblong casing preferably provided at the corners with supporting legs 2 and composed of vertical side and end walls and a top transparent wall 3 of glass, but any suitable material may, of course, be employed in the construction of the casing. The casing is provided with a central transverse supporting bar 4, having mounted on it at its center a vertically adjustable and vertically disposed pivot forming a support for a universally tiltable game board 6. The pivot 5 is preferably threaded as shown, and is provided at the upper and lower faces of the supporting bar 4 with nuts I for securing the pivot in its adjustment, washers being preferably interposed between the nuts and the supporting bar. By this construction the pivot is rigidly maintained in a vertical position. The pivot is provided at its upper end with a ball 8 and the game board is provided at its lower face with a centrally arranged socket 9 receiving the ball which is confined in the socket by a plate I suitably secured to the lower face of the game board. This construction provides a ball and socket connection between the game board and the supporting pivot and permits a universal tilting movement of the game board.

The game board which is rectangular or oblong substantially fills or coincides with the rectangular space defined by the side and end walls of the casing, sufficient space being provided between the marginal edges of the game board and the walls of the casing to permit free pivotal movement of the game board in any direction for controlling the balls i l which are placed in play upon the upper face of the game board one at a time by the ball delivering device hereinafter fully described.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the game board is provided at opposite sides with longitudinal rows of pockets l2 consisting of holes extending entirely through the game board and having different score values as clearly illustrated in the said figure of the drawings, the object of the arrangement being to place a ball in play at the central area of the game board and by a skillful tilting manipulation of the game board cause the ball to progress over the game board and enter a high score pocket. While the pockets are arranged for convenience of illustration in the two rows in Fig. 1, they may be, as hereinafter more fully explained, arranged in any desired manner, to adapt the game apparatus for playing various kinds of games, and it is to be understood that the invention is not to be confined to the use of any particular number and arrangement of pockets and that high and low score pockets and even blank pockets of any arrangement may be employed.

The bottom walls of the pockets are preferably formed by vertically movable ball ejecting plungers l3 of a ball ejecting plunger carrier which in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, is composed of a pair of longitudinal bars or members M movable upwardly and downwardly on pendant guide rods l5 secured to and depending from the game board at the lower face thereof and extending through openings I6 into longitudinal tubular bars l4 and provided at their lower ends with heads I! which support the ball plunger carrier when the same is in its lowermost position, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. This construction will permit the balls to be retained in the pockets until each player has completely played or manipulated all of the balls to which he is entitled to play. The walls of the pockets l2 are of sufiicient height to prevent balls from leaving the pockets l2 when the game board is tilted.

By permitting the balls to remain in the pockets an accurate score may be kept for each player and after the score has been counted the balls are simultaneously ejected from the pockets by moving the carrier upwardly and raising the plungers in the pockets to the upper ends thereof. This movement of the ball ejecting plunger carrier is effected by means of a pair of rock shafts I8 mounted in suitable bearings 9 and provided at their ends with rocker arms 20 having approximately L-shaped terminal portions 2| which extend beneath the bars or members M of the carrier and lift the said bars or members when the rock shafts l8 are partially rotated. The bars or members M are provided at the terminal portions of the arms 20 with keepers 22 extending partially around the terminal portions 2| of the rocker arms and forming guards for the same. In the operation of the rock shafts the terminal portions 2| have a sliding movement within the keepers 22 on the bars or members I4.

The rock shafts are also provided with depending operating arms 23 having lower terminal eyes 24 which are engaged by bends 26 of a longitudinal operating rod 21 extending through an opening in a front guide plate 28 and beneath a roller 29 which facilitates free movement of the operating rod. The operating rod extends from the front of the casing as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and it is guided in an opening 30 in a weighted circular operating member 3! having a hub portion 32 and secured by a set screw 33 to a tubular arm 34 connected with and extending from the front end of the tiltable game board. The weighted operating member 3| is adapted to be grasped by the operator for tilting the game board either laterally or longitudinally or in any direction. The operating rod 2'! is provided at its outer end with a head 35 to enable it to be readily grasped and manipulated by the player.

The weighted circular operating member 3| is adjustably secured to the tubular arm 34 by the set screw 33 and while the game board for convenience of illustration is shown in a horizontal position in the accompanying drawings, the weighted operating member normally maintains the said game board in unstable equilibrium so that when the said operating member 3| is released by a player the game board will automatically assume an inclined position with the lower portion of the game board at the front by reason of the front being weighted by the said operating member 3| and the other operating means of the game apparatus. This will require constant attention and alertness on the part of the player and will require a greater amount of skill to manipulate the balls for a high score than would be the case were the normal position of the game board horizontal.

After the player has used all of the balls to which he is entitled and his score has been counted, the balls are ejected from the pockets and the game board is tilted to cause the balls to roll away from the player to the far end of the game board which is provided with an upwardly extending flange 36 and the game board is then tilted laterally to cause the balls to enter either one of a pair of magazine inlets 31 consisting of elongated holes 38 and communicating with a tapering casing 38 extending across the lower face of the rear portion of the game board and tapered forwardly, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and connected with a tubular conduit 39 having an inclined rear portion 40 extending forwardly from the said casing 38. The tubular conduit communicates at its front end with a ball delivering device consisting of a vertical cylinder 4| extending above and below the front end of the tubular conduit 39 and provided at its rear side with an opening 42 to permit a ball II topass from the tubular conduit 39 into the cylinder 4|.

The delivery of the balls from the conduit 39 to the top of the game board is controlled by a piston or plunger 43 reciprocating in the cylinder 4| and actuated by a bell crank lever 44 having one arm connected by a slot and pin connection 45 with the piston, or other suitable connection therewith, and fulcrumed at 46 in a suitable bracket or support 41. A bell crank lever is also provided with a depending arm 48 to which is connected a coiled spring 49. The spring 49 is connected at one end to the said depending arm of the bell crank lever 44 and at its other end to an L-shaped bracket 50 of the game board so that the piston will be maintained normally in an elevated position as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The bell crank lever is provided with 2. lug or ear 5| and an operating rod 52 is pivotally connected at 53 to the said lug or ear 5|. The operating rod 52 extends through the tubular arm 34 of the game board and is provided at its front end with a head or grip 54 adapted to be readily grasped by the operator for swinging the bell crank lever to reciprocate the plunger which is moved downwardly to a position below the front end of the tubular conduit 39 to permit one of the balls to enter the cylinder 4|. The operating member 54 may then be released or may be controlled by the operator to permit the ball to be delivered as desire-d to the upper face of the game board. The cylinder 4| is provided with a slot 55 in which the bell crank lever operates and the front wall of the casing is provided with a slot 56 in which the tubular arm of the game table operates. The tapered casing 38 is suitably secured to the lower face of the game board and the front portion of the tubular conduit is supported in a suitable bracket 5'4, but the said parts may be mounted on the lower face of the game board in any other suitable manner.

The magazine inlets 31 are normally covered by closures 58 connected by suitable stems 59 with the members or bars l4 of the plunger carrier so that when the plungers are moved upwardly by the said carrier to eject the balls from the pockets and to fill the pockets temporarily the inlets 31 will be simultaneously uncovered to permit the balls to pass readily through the inlets into the ball collecting magazine.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 to 10 of the accompanying drawings the game board BI! is equipped with a plunger carrier 6| of nearly the same size as the game board and of rectangular form so that the pockets 62 and the plunger 53 may be arranged in any desired position with respect to the surface of the game board. In this form of the invention additional pockets not shown in Fig. 1, are provided, and these additional pockets are located adjacent the marginal portions of the game board and are designed to either be blanks or contain low score numbers to penalize a player for permitting the ball to roll from the central portion of the game board to the marginal portion thereof. It will be clear that by providing a carrier 6| of substantially or nearly the same size as the game board, that any arrangement of plungers and pockets may be employed to provide games of different characters or types.

The carrier 6| is mounted on vertical guides 64 depending from the game board and extending through openings in the carrier and provided at their lower ends with heads 55 similar to the guides heretofore described. Also the carrier 6| is supported by rock shafts 66 journaled in suitable bearings 61 at the lower face of the game board and having rocker arms 68 for supporting the carrier and operating arms 59 which are suitably connected with an operating rod 10 by means of which the rock shafts are partially rotated to raise and lower the carrier El and the plungers of the same.

The game board is mounted centrally on a vertical pivot ll having a universal joint or bearing '52 similar to that heretofore described and at the front end the game board is provided with an arm 73 extending through a slot 14 in the front wall of the casing 15 and provided with a weighted circular operating member 16 which in practice will maintain the game board in unstable equilibrium. The operating rod of the mechanism for raising and lowering the carrier 6| extends through an opening in the operating member 16 and is provided at its outer end with a suitable head H to enable it to be readily grasped by the operator to manipulate the carrier.

The balls ii; are manipulated similar to those heretofore described, and after being ejected from the pockets, they are received in a magazine located at the upper face of the game board and consisting of a longitudinal guide or way composed of an inner rear entrance section 19, an intermediate diagonally arranged section 86 and a rear section 8| which contains and forms a guide for a spring actuated plunger 52. The game board, after the ejection of the balls from the pockets, is tilted laterally to bring the balls in line with entrance section 19 of the magazine and is then tilted longitudinally to cause the balls to roll into the entrance section and from thence into the intermediate angularly disposed transversely extending section 85, where they are trapped by a hinged trap plate or door 83 arranged at an inclination and pivoted at its upper end by a transverse pin or pivot 84 and extending downwardly and inwardly with respect to the intermediate portion 8!) of the magazine. The intermediate portion 88 of the magazine which has side and top walls as shown, constitutes the ball holding portion of the magazine.

The trap door or plate 83 is arranged at one end of the intermediate portion 89 and the spring actuated plunger 82 is located at the other end adjacent the guiding section 8| which has spaced parallel side walls. The plunger 82 consists of an approximately rectangular head and a plunger rod 85 extending through the guide 85 of the game board and through a guide opening 8'! in the weighted operating member I5. The plunger rod which is provided at its front end with a suitable head or grip 88 has mounted on it coiled springs 89 separated by a sleeve 90 slidable on the rod 85 and movable with the coiled springs. The coiled springs 89 are adapted to be compressed when the plunger is drawn back sufficiently to permit one of the balls 18 to pass from the magazine section 88 to a position in front of the plunger 82 which may be suddenly released to project the ball over the central portion of the game board, but the plunger rod may be also returned slowly to its closing position to deliver the ball to the game board without projecting the ball across the same. The forward movement of the plunger for delivering one ball to the game board also closes the ball holding portion of the magazine to prevent the delivery or escape of another ball until the plunger is again operated.

The game board 60 may be provided at its front end with a plurality of pockets 9| which may be either blanks or low numbers. These pockets 9| are preferably formed by strips secured to the upper face of the game board, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7.

In practice any suitable coin controlled means may be employed, and, as many games may be played in which the balls are projected forward and are permitted to roll back into the pockets, the game apparatus is equipped with an elevation control for the game board adapted to enable the game board to be arranged and maintained at different inclinations to secure a more or less rapid return of the balls without interfering with the lateral oscillation of the board for directing the balls into pockets having high scores. The elevation control device comprises a vertically adjustable pivotally mounted member 92 which is preferably in the form of a hook and is provided at its upper engaging portion with a plurality of recesses 93 and 94 to enable the hook shaped pivotally mounted member to engage the arm 73 of the weighted operating member 15. The arm 13 is received within the recess 93 of the hook shaped member 92 when the latter is in a vertical position and the lower recess receives the operating rod If! and permits the hookshapcd member to clear the same. The hookshaped member may, of course, be arranged in any other suitable manner to engage any other portion of the game board.

The pivotally mounted member 92 is provided with a threaded stem 95 which extends through and engages an interiorly threaded sleeve 96 provided at its upper end with a universal joint and having an operating disk or wheel 9'1 at its lower end. The universal jont preferably consists of a ball 98 and a socket 99 which is adapted to permit the sleeve 96 to oscillate to swing the hook into and out of engagement with the arm '73 and which is also adapted to rotate to raise and lower the arm, an adjustment of approximately an inch being preferably provided for this purpose.

The socket 99 which may be of any desired construction is formed by a removable cap plate I00 secured to the casing and adapted to enable the parts to be readily assembled. A tapered recess I 9| is provided below the socket 99 to permit the necessary lateral swinging movement of the sleeve to engage and disengage the hook from the arm 13.

By rotating the operating disk or wheel 97 the hook-shaped member may be raised and lowered to control the elevation of the game board to permit the game board to be set in a predetermined horizontal position for either a rapid or a slow return of the balls and at the front end of the casing a scale I02 is provided for indicating the degree of inclination of the game board. The graduations of the scale are numbered and any desired number of graduations may, of course, be provided. Also a coiled spring I03 may be connected with the vertically adjustable pivotally mounted member for maintaining the same normally in engagement with the arm 13, but the spring may, of course, be omitted if desired. When the hook-shaped pivotally mounted member is in engagement with the arm 13 it forms a bearing for the same and enables the arm to turn freely in the manipulation of the game board to oscillate the same laterally for directing the balls into the various pockets. By turning the operating wheel 91 the front end of the game board will be raised or lowered to regulate the tilt of the board to suit the player and the said operating wheel 9'! is arranged at the center of the front end of the casing at the bottom thereof in convenient position for ready manipulation. While the majority of games on the board may be played with a tilted board and a lateral oscillatory movement of the game board, the universal mounting of the game board will facilitate a rapid restoring of the balls to the collecting magazine, and at the same time, permit the inclination of the game board to be adjusted to suit individual players.

While the elevation control for convenience of illustration is shown applied to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive, it will be readily understood that it is equally applicable to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus including a centrally pivoted universally tiltable game board provided with pockets for the reception of balls and adapted to be manually manipulated to control the movement of the balls, and a weighted operating member connected with the game board and located centrally of one end of the game board and adapted to be moved upwardly and downwardly and also rotated and normally maintaining the game board in unstable equilibrium and adapted when released by a player to tilt the game board automatically to an inclined position.

2. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, a ball collecting magazine carried by the game board, a ball delivering device associated with the magazine and provided with means for transferring the balls one at a time, from the magazine to the game board, and a combined weight and operating member located centrally of one end of the game board for tilting the latter vertically and laterally to control the movement of the balls in play and adapted when released by a player to automatically tilt the game board, and cause the balls in the collecting magazine to roll to the delivering device.

3. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, and a ball collecting magazine located beneath the game board and comprising a tapered casing arranged at the rear end of the game board, a tubular conduit extending from the casing to the front portion of the game board, a ball delivering device located at the front end of the game board and communicating with the tubular conduit and extending to the upper face of the game board and provided with a reciprocating plunger for transferring the balls, one at a time, from the magazine to the upper face of the game board, a spring actuated bell crank lever connected with the plunger for moving the same, and an operating rod connected with the bell crank lever for controlling and actuating the same, and a combined weight and operating member located centrally at the front end of the game board for tilting the game board vertically and laterally to control the movement of the balls in play and adapted when released by a player to automatically tilt the game board and cause the balls in the collecting magazine to roll to the delivering device.

4. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, said game board being provided with magazine inlet openings, a magazine located beneath the game board and having a casing arranged to receive balls from the said inlet openings, closures for the inlet openings, a carrier mounted beneath the game board for upward and downward movement and provided with plungers operating in the pockets of the game board, said carrier being also provided with means for operating the said closures of the inlet openings, and operating mechanism carried by the game board for raising and lowering the carrier.

5. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, a ball collecting magazine located on the upper face of the game board and provided with a spring actuated ball delivery device arranged to feed the balls, one at a time, from the magazine and adapted also to project the balls over the game board, and a combined weight and operating member located centrally of one end of the game board for tilting the latter vertically and laterally to control the movement of the balls in play and adapted when released by a player to automatically tilt the game board and cause the balls to roll along the col le-cting magazine to the delivering device.

6. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, a ball collecting magazine located on the upper face of the game board and including a longitudinal ball guide way having a transversely disposed ball collecting portion provided with means for trapping balls entering the same, and a delivery device provided with a spring actuated plunger reciprocatable across the collecting portion of the magazine and adapted to deliver the balls, one at a time, to the game board, and a combined weight and operating member located centrally of one end of the game board for tilting the latter vertically and laterally to control the movement of the balls in play and adapted when released by a player to automatically tilt the game board and cause the balls to roll along the collecting magazine to the delivering device.

'7. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, said game board being provided at the front with a weighted operating device adapted to maintain the game board in unstable equilibrium, a vertically movable carrier located beneath and carried by the game board and having plungers operating in the pockets, mechanism mounted on the game board for raising and lowering the carrier, said mechanism including an operating rod guided in the weighted operating member, and a ball collecting magazine also carried by the game board and provided with a ball delivery device having an operating rod guided in the weighted operating member.

8. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the board through manual manipulation of the board, and. means for securing the game board at the desired longitudinal inclination of the game board without interfering with the lateral tilting of the same and including a vertically adjustable pivotally mounted member having means for detachable connection with the game board.

9. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the board through manual manipulation of the board, and means for securing the game board at the desired longitudinal inclination of the game board without interfering with the lateral tilting of the same and including a vertically adjustable pivotally mounted member having a threaded stem and an interiorly threaded oscillatory adjusting sleeve receiving and engaging the threaded stem and provided with a universal joint adapted to permit rotary and oscillatory movement.

10. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universally tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the board through manual manipulation of the board, and means for securing the game board at the desired longitudinal inclination of the game board Without interfering with the lateral tilting of the same and including a vertically adjustable pivotally mounted member having a threaded stem and an interiorly threaded oscillatory adjusting sleeve receiving and engaging the threaded stem and provided with a ball and socket joint adapted to permit rotary and oscillatory movement of the sleeve and having an operating member.

11. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universal tilting and provided with pockets adapted to receive balls movable over the game board through tilting manipulation of the same, a plunger carrier composed of spaced longitudinal members located beneath the game board at opposite sides of the same and extending substantially the length of the game board, said longitudinal members being provided with plungers operating in the pockets, fixed guides secured to and depending from the game board and slidably receiving the longitudinal members and maintaining the same in proper spaced relation, and operating mechanism connected with the longitudinal members for raising and lowering the same.

12. A game apparatus including a game board mounted for universal tilting and provided with pockets to receive balls movable over the game board through tiltable manipulation of the same, the walls of the pockets being of sufficient height to prevent balls from leaving the pockets when the game board is tilted, a guided plunger carrier located beneath and carried by the tiltable game board and provided with plungers operating in the pockets for simultaneously ejecting balls from the pockets, the upper ends of the plungers forming bottom walls for the pockets, and operating mechanism carried by the tiltable game board for moving the plungers upwardly and downwardly.

13. A game device comprising a casing, a game board mounted for tilting movement in said casing and having pockets therein for receiving game pieces traversing the surface of the board, means for delivering the game pieces to the surface of the board, and means connected with the board and projecting to the exterior of the casing and constituting a handle whereby the board may be tilted by the player.

BENJAMIN V. CHAMBERS. 

